Woodstock Libertarian Challenges Scot Turner for House Seat

A Woodstock attorney has tossed his hat into the ring to challenge incumbent State Rep. Scott Turner--but not as a Republican.

Jeff Amason is mounting a campaign to run as a Libertarian for the House District 21 seat, which covers Holly Springs, Hickory Flat and parts of unincorporated Canton and Woodstock.

He won the Libertarian Party of Georgia's nomination during its convention over the weekend. Election rules dictate Amason, as well as any third-party or independent candidate, must get 5 percent of signatures from registered voters in the district who were eligible to vote in 2012.

Amason served as the chairman of the Cobb County Libertarian Party during the 1990s. 

For the past 15 years, Amason has served on the Georgia Engineering Foundation's Board of Directors and has coached for the Cherokee Youth Football Association and the River Ridge Junior Knights. He's is the current president of the River Ridge Touchdown Club and chairs the school's council.

Amason graduated from North Cobb High School in 1983 and earned an engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1988. He worked as an engineer and project manager for several companies, and enrolled in law school in 2002. 

Amason passed the bar in 2006, and currently practices law. 

Amason and wife Andrea have four children: Cassidy, a student at Georgia College and State University; Tanner, a student at River Ridge; Wyatt, who attends Mill Creek Middle School; and Reilly, a fifth-grade home schooled student at The King's Academy.

The family attends West Cherokee Church of Christ.